Bees knees

Barnet v Darlington

Coca-Cola Division Two

MATCH REARRANGED for Tuesday 1st April (7.45pm) - Not now Tuesday January 22nd

Despite the relative comfort zone of mid table again, Barnet struggled at times last season.   Tommy Wright jumps up and makes contact with Simon King..The Barnet player is forced off injured with a black eye. Wright is then sent off. ©Photos: Ted Blair/Northern Echo. Man to watch Adam Birchall Signed from Mansfield, initially on loan - the former Arsenal youngster has got his share of the goals. Full match previews on the D@rlo Uncovered website. Visiting fans are usually given around 400 spaces on the low-rise and thankfully covered East Terrace out of a capacity of 4,800. It's like the old days and can be found after a walk along the side of the corrugated iron-clad stand. If enough demand, they're given the open North stand behind the goal. Ticket prices for 2009-2009 are £16 (£12 concession - under 18, over 60 and NUS) in the North Family Stand, or £15 (£10 concessions) in the East Terrace North, £5 under 12s.

Barnet FC Underhill, Barnet Lane, Barnet, EN5 2BE (020 8) 441 6932 History: Founded 1901, early team from 1888, promoted to League in 1990/91. Record Attendance: 11,026 v Wycombe FA Amateur Cup, 1952 Capacity: 4,800 Last season: 12th Honours: Conference Champions 1990/1991, 2004/2005 Record victory: 7-0 v Blackpool, Div 3, 11 Nov 2000 Defeat: 1-9 v Peterborough United, Div 3, 5 Sep 1998 Nickname: The Bees. Colours: Amber and Black.Manager: Paul Fairclough. Chairman: Tony Kleanthous Players in: Players out: Famous fans/connections: John Motson (fan, well he worked for the local paper once); Barry Fry (flamboyant ex-manager), Stan Flashman (ex-chairman, ticket tout extraordinaire). Click for Streetmap of ground

 

Leave the M25 at J23, signposted Hatfield and A1081 Barnet. Take the A1081 towards Barnet and keep going for a few miles as the road becomes the A1000. You take a right into Barnet High Street and the ground is at the bottom of Barnet Hill near the junction with Station Road (A110), on the right. Street parking or carpark at High Barnet Underground Station (£2). There is also a shoppers' carpark - right turn before The Avenue pub in the High Street by Fitzjohn Avenue. Alpha Cars Tel: 020 8447 1000 . Barnet Licenced Taxis Tel: 020 8441 8381 Kerri Car Tel: 020 8368 5000 Darlington FC Supporters' Club Coach TIME TBC, £25. Contact: 01325 243911. See Darlington Supporters' Club

Trains: From Kings Cross you can take overland trains to New Barnet (20 mins), which is then another 15-20 minutes walk to the ground.Or take the underground to High Barnet - the end of the Northern Line (zone 1-6 travelcard- offpeak £6.30 - don't get an Edgeware train). Tube ticket machines are now outside at the front of Kings Cross station. The journey takes about 35 minutes but closer to the stadium. From High Barnet, it's left down Barnet Hill and the ground is across the road at the junction in Fairfield Way. Should you need them, buses run down Barnet Hill past the ground. Or from New Barnet station, the 107 runs past or the 82 goes from the station carpark. As it's now an evening match, the train service back is lousy except for those London, SE and Midlands DAFTS. No late trains back to Darlington or Sheffield. Birmingham New Street: 16.30-arr London Euston 1800; rtn: 22.40-arr 01.27 or 23.40-02.38. Fares from £20 advance return, £39.50 saver return. Sheffield: 08.27-10.36 London St Pancras, rtn: 18.00-20.38. Fares from £39 advance return and £61.30 saver return.

Real ale: For those arriving for the weekend, like this fixture last year, there is the London Drinker Beer Festival opposite St Pancras station on until the Friday night. NB It is over unfortunately after then and not open on Saturday. Ye Olde Mitre 58 High Street Tel: 020 8 449-6582 This has been recommended by the local CAMRA for regular changing ales and its consistency, although we were disappointed on our visit in April 2008. It's an old fashioned pub, the opposite end of the High Street from the ground, up the hill - turn right at the tube. Open 12 noon-midnight. We found two or three ales on on our first visit, but it was more Greene King dominated last season. Sky screens. Friendly to away fans, with mostly locals. Lord Nelson 14 West End Lane, High Barnet, EN5 2SA A bit further up from usual haunts - turn left into Wood Street past the chuch up the hill from the tube. Serves real ale and good food. A good alternative and the walk is then downhill to the ground. Ye Olde Monken Holt, 193 High Street Barnet, 020 8449 4280 At least three real ales at this intimate locals' pub, which also serves good home-made food from 12pm. Has a conservatory and beer garden. Further up past the shopping centre, half a mile from the tube. DAFTS recommended.

London (Central)/real ale: Doric Arch (or Head of Steam), 1 Eversholt Street, Outside Euston Station. A regular DAFTS post-match meet-up when in London. This upstairs bar, close to the bus stops in front of Euston station concourse, has about five real ales on tap. Although no longer part of the HoS chain, there are still a choice of beers apart from Fuller's. Close to Euston and Euston Square tubes. Alternatively, try Bree Louise, 69 Cobourg St NW1 2HH Another real ale pub, 150 yards from Euston. Up to four beers on gravity and five on handpull. Near Ground: The Old Red Lion, Great North Road Pub closest to ground, which welcomes away fans. The Avenue, 31 High Street, Barnet. A bit out of the way at the top end of the High Street, right out of the tube. Large M&B pub with TV screens, does food. The Weaver, 27 Greenhill Parade. Traditional Irish pub, with food, a short walk south of the Odeon cinema. Railway Bell, 13 East Barnet Road. A large Wetherspoon's, close to New Barnet station, on the main road, back towards the railway bridge and the A110. Three guest beers, cheap food and beer garden. Click for streetmap Moon Under Water, 148 High Street, Barnet. Wetherspoon's in converted shop.

At ground: Durham Suite, South Stand, Underhill Bar at Barnet FC, open to away fans. Big screen with Sky Sports and free entry.

Plenty of take-away and chippie choice on Barnet Hill, or there is a fish and chip shop in Great North Road, the other side of the ground near The Weaver pub. I thought the ground was good value for food, with the Pukka pies excellent and crusty for £2 from the terrace hut.

If you'd like to be e-mailed a regular bulletin with the latest updates on this site - including details of DAFTS members known to be travelling then E-mail DAFTS

This was a DAFTS weekender last season, with a few of us staying down and joining the usual London DAFTS bunch. Barnet can be found in a leafy part of north London, so you can make a weekend of it in the capital. Should you want to shop local, there is the Spires Shopping Centre, 111 High Street. There's an online out-and-about guide for those who want to stay local - local attractions include the RAF Museum at Hendon. Least fascinating fact: "Barnet," the Cockney rhyming slang for "hair" comes from Barnet Fair. Rail timetables Virgin Trains GNER National Express Online map Football HotelsHotels/B&Bs Barnet Times Barnet CAMRA Barnet council London Drinker Surfing there... Apart from the usual Official website, there is a Barnet football supporters' association site, which has an away fans' guide and also kept well up to date is Barnet Mad. See also the independent Bee Army site, which is in the process of being updated. The Rivals site is Bees, Bees, Bees. There is also the wacky but hardly updated and pop-up-inflicted Barnet Cartoons website, which also has an away guide Next away match: Stockport County (Saturday April 5th) No responsibility is taken for accuracy, if in doubt check before travelling. © DAFTS 2007 Anything worth adding? Please e-mail us any suggestions. Back to index page If you'd like to be e-mailed a regular bulletin with the latest updates on this site - including details of DAFTS members known to be travelling then E-mail DAFTS